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4.3 Stopping in a low
gear
As with an ordinary bicycle it is best to get into
the habit of finishing your journey in an easy
gear so that you can pull away easily when you
start again.
4.4 Relax
Whilst riding sit back and relax.
DO NOT PULL ON THE HANDLEBARS;
just hold them lightly. The trike will tend to steer
itself in a straight line depending on the road
surface and camber.
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The steering of the
trike runs on ball bearings so
it is very smooth and requires
minimal effort to steer. The gear
cables run forward and backwards
and the spring effect in these cables
tend to make the trike slowly turn
to the left if you let go of
the handlebars completely.
This is normal and we don’t
recommend riding without holding at
least one of the handle bars or you will
not have proper control of the trike.
4.2 Initial test ride
Start on a flat piece of road or drive preferably
away from traffic. The front brakes are
independent so the left brake operates the left
front wheel and the right brake operates the right
wheel. Sit on the trike , clip in and make sure
you know where the brakes are and that they
stop you moving. Before you have ridden more
than a few yards, check the front brakes.
MAKE SURE YOU CAN STOP!
You should do this before each ride, as well as
checking your brakes for damage and wear.
Steering is very easy and natural and you
will soon become unaware of the movements
required.
Gear changing
As with any derailleur system you can only
change gear when you are pedalling and
moving forward. It is easier to change if you
are not putting a lot of force on the pedals,
particularly when changing from a high to a low
gear. The rear derailleur is operated by the right
shifter, and the front using the left shifter.
Do not change gear when the trike is rolling
backwards, as the chain will jam in the rear
derailleur and likely damage it. When you are
riding, you can make minor adjustments to the
indexing of the gears using the adjusters located
where the cables exit the shifters.
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Also try to anticipate hills and
change to a lower (easier) gear
before you get onto the steep part of
the hill hence avoiding changing
gear under pressure.
